Fears of a U.S. operation to oust the regime in Pyongyang have been North Korea’s greatest fear since the Korean War. But what is more difficult to discern is the relationship between China and North Korea. The leaders of the two nations engaged in a surprise meeting that shocked the world.

When the North Korea crisis began, there was a broadly believed, flawed theory that China was as alarmed by North Korea’s behavior as the United States was; it was hoped that China could serve as a origin of pressure on Kim Jong Un. The reality is the Chinese were quite satisfied to see North Korea handcuff America. If the U.S. attacked, America would be seen as an aggressor and would be blamed for a horrific war. If the U.S. refused to attack, it could be portrayed as tired and unable to stand up to North Korea. Either outcome would benefit China, showcasing a U.S that is tired or impulsive.

The North Koreans were aware that the Chinese regarded North Korea as dispensable. Their relationship with China has always been shaped by the Korean War, in which China did not get involved until its own borders were vulnerable. Even had China wished to be an honest negotiator between America and North Korea, history makes China questionable in North Korea’s eyes. China does not trust or like North Korea and the North Korean leadership knows this.

North Korea’s recent strategy is to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea, which it has done. You see, South Korea does not want a war with the North. If war were to break out, South Korea would see millions of casualties. So the North is appearing to be more reasonable in its treatment of the South, hoping the South will distance itself from the threats of the Trump administration, and it knows South Korea absolutely fears war.

China would definitely like to see defense relations between the U.S. and South Korea damaged, as much as North Korea would. China wants to see U.S influence in Asia weakened. For this, China may attempt to seduce South Korea by making special rules for the access of South Korean goods to China possible thus reducing America’s influence over South Korea. There are many layers to this Asian crisis, and the outcome is unpredictable in the extreme.

What will happen next? North Korea must improve its relationship with China. If the North is ready to scale down its nuclear program, it will demand some kind of security guarantee in exchange, apparently with China influencing President Trump. If the North is simply looking for sanctions relief, weakening Chinese enforcement of sanctions is the goal. If the North has no intention of making substantive concessions in Kim’s meeting with Trump, war becomes all the more likely – again this would cause the Chinese to try to slow down the Americans. This is all very complicated and filled with maneuvering and subterfuge. No one in the West seems to really know what is going on between China and North Korea.Over the next two months Kim Jong Un is set to meet at the bargaining table with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Donald Trump and possibly even Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – despite having no actual experience with face-to-face diplomacy.

So difficult to know the outcome of these important meetings…they will be fascinating to watch.
Bible prophecies have long foretold the rise of an end-time Asiatic superpower capable of producing a huge army that will ultimately fight against a European beast power stationed in Jerusalem (Daniel 11:44; Revelation 9:13-17). Most likely North Korea will be part of the 200- million- man army that makes its way across the Euphrates river as it advances to Jerusalem (Revelation 9:16). That is yet to take place in the future, soon before Christ’s return.—Steven LeBlanc

Revelation 13:11Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.

National bestseller HITLER’S POPE describes the Catholic Church relationship with

Adolf Hitler

A deceitful false Christian leader—A “Catholic” despot will soon emerge; this man will sway millions with his stunning miracles.

The Bible reveals that this end-time revival of the Roman Empire will combine the power of a dominant church with the political machinery of the state—the “woman” (symbol of a religious leader) will ride the beast (symbol of the state—see Daniel 7:8, 20-21; Revelation 17: 1-6).

European history makes it clear that the Catholic Church, allied with European kings down through the years, made it possible for ambitious kings to unify large areas under the banner of what could then be termed the Holy Roman Empire. Revelation 17:1-2 says the great harlot (false church) involved herself with secular politics: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication…”. God describes this “unholy” alliance between church and state as an act of spiritual fornication. God hates the “harlot” with her poisonous doctrines and destructive politicking.

The Apostle John, in the Book of Revelation, revealed just how influential the Catholic Church would become down through the centuries. An angel had explained to John that “the waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (languages)” (17:15). No other Church in history has exercised so much power! This fallen woman who “sits on seven hills” (17:9) is the great false church whose headquarters is in Rome, Italy today. For over 2000 years Rome has been known as the “city on seven hills”. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now connected” (The Catholic Encyclopedia “Rome” Thomas Nelson, 1976).

A study of history asserts that after Rome’s collapse in A.D. 476, her “deadly wound” was later healed. Europe once again became dominant in the world. History tells us that six of the seven kings or leaders of the prophesied revivals of the Roman Empire, in cooperation with the Roman church, did come to power in Europe. Below you will see the historical fulfillment of prophecy regarding the Pope-King, Church-State relationship. We await the seventh and final revival of the Holy Roman Empire. The six revivals thus far are:

● In 554 A.D. Emperor Justinian restored the Roman Empire and proclaimed himself the agent of God, the emperor of the resurrected Holy Roman Empire; he acknowledged the supremacy of the Pope. This was the first restoration of the Roman Empire in Europe.

● In the year 800 A.D. Charlemagne, a zealous Roman Catholic of Germanic heritage, was crowned by Pope Leo III as Emperor of the Romans. This was the second revival of the Holy Roman Empire. During his reign of forty-six years Charlemagne undertook fifty-two military campaigns. He brought much of western and central Europe under his power. Charlemagne’s empire encompassed today’s modern territories of Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, part of Spain, and most of Italy.

● The alliance between the Papacy and Germany was to play out again and again in European history. In 962, the new emperor of the German nation, Otto the Great, revived the European Empire (the first German Reich) and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John XII. Once again Germany became the pivot point of Europe. This Reich (Empire) became known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation – the third revival.

● Charles the V’s Catholic Hapsburg Empire dominated Europe and other parts of the world, including Spanish America in the early 1500s. This was the fourth of the “seven mountains on which the woman sits The fourth of the seven revivals of the Holy Roman Empire saw the Catholic Church playing a major role. Remember, a mountain is a symbol of nations or an empire (Revelation 17:9).

● One of history’s most prominent dictators was France’s Napoleon Bonaparte, who was to lead the fifth revival of the Roman Empire in Europe. In 1804 Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France, and later that year at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Pope Pius II crowned Napoleon as the leader of the Holy Roman Empire of Europe.

● After Napoleon came the sixth and most destructive revival of the Roman Empire – the Hitler/Mussolini axis. What happened in Germany from 1933 to 1945 gives us the most recent example of Catholic compliance with secular power:

The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII; 1939-58) and Germany’s Vice Chancellor, Franz von Papen, formally signed a concordat between the Holy See and the German Reich on July 20, 1933.Hitler interpreted the concordat to mean that he had won the church’s approval, thereby gaining international approval of his Nazi regime.

So why did the Catholic Church sign the agreement? The Church feared Hitler and sought to protect itself against the Nazi party in Germany. In turn Hitler gave the Catholic Church a degree of freedom to run its schools and programs without Nazi interference.

The Vatican has been highly criticized for its failure to speak out against Hitler during his reign of terror. Israel to this day is angry with Vatican officials for wanting to make Pope Pius XII a saint.

Six Kings have fallen. We now watch for prophecy to be fulfilled of the rise of a seventh king who will lead European super state. Allied with this seventh king will be ten other leaders or rulers who will “receive authority for one hour (symbolic of a short time) as kings with the beast” and “give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:12- 13). Notice the time frame of these final events in verse 14 of Revelation 17: “These (the Beast and the ten allied rulers or leaders) will make war with the Lamb (Jesus Christ), and the Lamb will overcome them…”

This coming false prophet, will emerge to billions of human beings to be a dynamic, charismatic leader representing Jesus Christ. But his message will be that of Satan the Devil. This magnetic false church leader will perform “great signs” and even make fire come down from heaven! This coming religious leader, scriptures says, he will be worshipped by his followers.

This entire religious system he leads—the “mystery of lawlessness” —which teaches against, and distorts the laws of God—even breaking the laws of God. He uses pagan imagery in his worship services, claiming pagan imagery to be Christian—the Catholic Church and its daughter churches is filled with all types of pagan imagery and ritual. This end-time false Christian leader will attack God’s Church—those who keep the commandments of God, which includes those who keep the Sabbath, and those who refuse to accept any of the symbols or rituals of the Church of Rome. Notice how God defines His Church at the time of the end:

Revelation 14:12Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Commandment keeping is important to God! We watch closely the Vatican, and we will be very interested to see who will be the next in line to replace Pope Francis.

There was a stunning development this past week that took the world by surprise!

In a striking announcement March 8th, South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui Yong proclaimed that U.S. President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un of North Korea as early as May. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the president would meet with Kim at a place and time to be determined, adding that America looks forward to a denuclearized North Korea.

This swift announcement follows a breakthrough meeting between South Korean officials and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that took place a few days ago. North Korea asserted that it will refrain from further nuclear or missile tests, and offered a conciliatory outreach by noting that he understands routine U.S.-South Korea military exercises must continue. This statement was truly shocking. Also of note, the U.S. president said in a tweet that sanctions would remain in place until an agreement is reached.

Why is North Korea bending? North Korea is under heavy sanctions pressure; its foreign currency reserves are quickly depleting. It is also attempting to relay a message to South Korea that it is reasonable and does not want a nuclear war with South Korea.

The announcement is an encouraging sign for China. Beijing’s uppermost priority is to calm the quarrel and discourage the United States from resorting to military action to blunt Pyongyang’s saber-rattling. Chinese leaders clearly grasp its limited ability to rein in North Korea, and they know they have little power to influence President Trump.

The March 8 announcement worries Japan. A sudden shift in the U.S. position will put Japan in a difficult place—as it fears North Korea and does not trust at all Kim Jong Un. How much Russia will be involved in all of this is yet to be seen.

There are still many weeks and many meetings before any Kim-Trump meeting would take place. Much can happen before now and then. At times such as these I always think of this passage about the spirit world interfering in world affairs. This is worth reading yet again—a very important passage:

When watching nations and geopolitical trends ALWAYS keep in mind that the spirt world is at work, toiling behind the scenes; often demons are motivating and influencing world leaders to make certain decisions. The North Korea story reminds me of the lying spirit that swayed King Ahab as recorded in 1 Kings 22. In 1 Kings 22 we are told of a council of war between the kings of Israel and Judah. Treacherous King Ahab and the good Jewish King Jehoshaphat were planning war against Syria to regain land that Israel had lost. At the council, God’s prophet Micaiah was brought before the two kings, he revealed a perceptive vision from the throne of God, revealing how the world of angels and demons can sway world leaders:

Micaiah viewed God sitting on His throne and the spiritual host of heaven around Him. “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him [Ahab].’ The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets’” (verses 21-22). God was allowing Ahab to be persuaded by his advisors (influenced by a lying spirit) to engage in a battle that would lead to Ahab’s death. The lesson for us is that at times lying demonic spirits work through government advisors and Leaders [types of false prophets] to prevail upon tyrants to make rash decisions. With this background; I cannot help but to consider that demon spirits will be involved, provoking and influencing the leader of North Korea.

Bible prophecies have long foretold the rise of an end-time Asiatic superpower capable of producing a huge army that will ultimately fight against a European beast power stationed in Jerusalem (Daniel 11:44; Revelation 9:13-17). Most likely North Korea will be part of the 200- million- man army that makes its way across the Euphrates river as it advances to Jerusalem (Revelation 9:16). That is yet to take place in the future, soon before Christ’s return.

Will President Trump actually be able to “de-nuke” North Korea? Hard to believe that will happen. We watch the whole situation with Daniel 2:21 in mind–God controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings…thus we watch the Korean crisis with intense interest.

The Islamic State’s downfall has left a power vacuum in Syria. Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Israel are all very interested in who fills that power vacuum in the country.

Currently it is Iran who is best positioned in the country and has the deepest relationship with the Assad regime in Syria. Turkey is very much anti-Assad and is most concerned that Syrian Kurds could fuel an uprising of the Kurds in Turkey. The more Turkey and Iran are focused on competing for power in Syria, the less focused they are on competing with Russia. Putin has polite relations with Turkey and an even stronger partnership with Iran, but Middle East relationships are a short-lived relationship that change very quickly.

Israel has been most concerned about Syria. On February 10th, an Iranian drone crossed into Israeli territory and was shot down. Israel responded to the Iranian intrusion by dispatching fighter jets to attack targets in Syria, including the Tiyas air base, near Palmyra, where the Iranian drone apparently originated from. Syrian anti-air systems reacted, striking an Israeli F-16, which crashed after making it back to Israeli territory. This pressured Israel to smash eight Syrian targets and four Iranian positions. Russia and America are hoping that tensions between Iran and Israel do not escalated into a war between these nations. Everyone in the region is fixated on the question, who will gain the upper hand in Syria?

Israel is watching Iran’s involvement in Syria very closely. It is one thing for an Iranian proxy like Hezbollah, with its reduced number of fighters, to fire rockets at Israel from Lebanon. But when Iran begins to station missiles, massing ground forces and placing aircraft in Syria, just across the Israeli border, using Syria as a base of Iranian operations, this amounts to a deadly menace to Israel.

Russia wants to preserve Syria as an independent nation and a Russian ally, not as a proxy nation used by Iran to project its power throughout the region. The Tiyas air base, which was the target of the Israeli strike, has also been a base for Russian aircraft in Syria. Russia and Israel have close relations – Netanyahu was in Russia just last month to express Israeli concerns to Moscow – and Russia is not looking to pick a fight with Israel (it relies too much on Israeli technology, also there is a large population of Russian Jews living in Israel who have relatives back home in Russia).

Saudi Arabia… The Saudis, who as recently as November were threatening war against Iran, hate Iran. So much so that Saudi Arabia remains extremely hostile to Iran and will support Israeli moves against it (and Saudi Arabia, unlike Israel, is within range of Iran). In addition, Egypt and Jordan remain aligned with Israel, they too fear Iran, a Shia led country. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan are Sunni.

It boils down to this; Iran is seeking to fill the power vacuum left behind by the Islamic State’s defeat in Syria. No one likes the Iranians; they stir up trouble everywhere and they threaten the leadership status quo in the Arab world—which is Sunni. Israel has been bombing targets in Syria for years to prevent Iran from building up forces in that country. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan will allow Israel to attack Iranian targets in Syria because of their fear and hatred of Iran; Russia does not seem to mind the attacks as it too, does not want to see Iran become too dominant in Syria.

The war for control of Syria is far from over. It will be most interesting to see if Israel and Iran are drawn more deeply into fighting each other in that country. Just because the Islamic state has been defeated there, it does not mean all is well in Syria, far from it. Another question to be answered in 2018, is what will happen to Assad of Syria, will he maintain his leadership of the country or will he be forced by Russia and Iran to leave office? President Assad of Syria is among one of the basest of men who continues to rule in the Middle East (Daniel 4:17); that whole region will only become more muddled as we transition over to a Syria without the Islamic State. —Steven LeBlanc

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Poles march against “Muslim Invasion of Europe” in the Spring of 2017

German leader Angela Merkel says the current world order is under threat—This was a comment that was made at the famous Davos meeting of world leaders and business leaders this week.

The world under threat—what does she mean?

Well…she is worried about the nationalist movements—nation first thinking that is taking hold in countries such as: Poland, Hungary, Austria, England, the United States, Russia, China and even Germany.

The German Chancellor believes in the community of nations approach to solving problems—that we all work together for the common good, and that means that individual nations should give up their sovereignty to a great degree—she does not believe in America first, or Poland first or Germany first, or to the Russia first way of thinking.

You don’t hear much about Poland in the news here in the States—but Poland is important—let’s take a moment to discuss this pivotal country.

• Poland has a population of 38 million people
• Poland is the most religious country in Europe (It is 88% Catholic, their weekly church attendance ranks the highest in Europe, even higher than in Italy).
• Major cities; Warsaw (capital) 1.742 million; Krakow 764,000.
• Roman Catholicism is so popular in Poland that there is a television channel dedicated to the pope.• Poland has been invaded or fought for freedom 43 times since the 1600s
• Poland’s history can easily be summed up as a continuous struggle against invasions. Poland suffered terribly during the 2nd world war—it was sandwiched between 2 monsters: Hitler and Stalin.
• Between the 1939 invasion of Poland, and the end of World War II, over 90% of Polish Jewry perished. Six death camps (Auschwitz, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek, Sobibor and Treblinka) were founded in which the mass murder of millions of Polish Jews and various other groups, was carried out between 1942 and 1944.
• Poland lost 6 million citizens in World War II— 3 million were Jews; Poland had the largest concentration of Jews, more Jews living in Poland than in any other European country.

The infamous Auschwitz/Birkenau Camp II

• An estimated 1.3 million Jews were murdered at the twin camps, Auschwitz I (the original camp), Auschwitz II–Birkenau (a combination concentration/extermination camp).
• With a population of nearly 40 million and a half-trillion-dollar economy Poland is now the world’s 24th largest economy.
• Since Poland completed the transition from Communism to democracy in 1991, its economy has been growing at an average annual rate of 4 percent and, remarkably, has not suffered a single year of negative growth.
• Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) government rules the country; the Party is pro-US, anti-Russia, and cool to the leadership of Germany’s Angela Merkel.
• After the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Poland set out to distance itself as far as possible from Russia
• Poland is rapidly increasing its military power.
• Poland, along with Hungary, has refused to take in any refugees under a 2015 deal that was supposed to allocate 160,000 people among EU member countries in order to take the burden off Greece and Italy. Germany’s Angela Merkel is upset with Polish leaders for not complying with EU rules regarding refugees.• Polish leaders warned that EU pressure on Poland to accept refugees “is a straight road to a social catastrophe, with the result that in a few years Warsaw could look like Brussels.”
• Despite being in the EU, there’s little appetite in Poland to create a West-European style multi-ethnic society.

It is true that the tide of nationalism that is on the rise around the world finds its footing in anger. People are angry. Look at Poland, one of the most dynamic countries in Europe. The Polish people supporting the Polish government, is refusing to take in refugees from the Middle East and North Africa—this angers the European Union.

Poland, in particular, will force policymakers in Brussels to decide what to do with an elected government that chooses not to adhere to EU laws. Poland and others like it will resist whatever the EU tries to do to bring them to submission.

The Scriptures reveal that in the “last days” of human authority a vast and powerful religious system (Catholic system), will have astonishing influence on a union of nations that is gradually, but surely, emerging on the European continent (Revelation 13). Poland will be a big part of this end-time structure; remember– Poland is the “most Catholic country” in Europe, considered to be more devout than Italy. Poland matter, watch Poland!